Fortunate To Have Sen. Allen Represent Gila County

We are very fortunate in District 5 of Arizona (Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Apache and Navajo counties) to have State Senator Sylvia Allen represent us. She fits our need at a time every conservative vote counts. She is running for re-election on a very limited budget against a well financed challenger because she has that passion and drive to represent us.

Sylvia Allen is a no nonsense, honest to the core, straight shooting lady with moxie, knowledge, experience, and more importantly, common sense. She works, tirelessly, not only for the benefit of all of us in her district, regardless of party, but for the well-being of the state and nation as a whole. Sylvia feels she cannot abandon those of us, particularly in rural Arizona, who rely on her support at the state level and are being crushed by continually expanding government in our lives, and increasing out-of-control spending.

Allen’s opponent for this seat is eight-year state representative Bill Konopnicki with whom I have worked with regarding Tonto Forest grazing issues for several years. I always had a good working relationship and developed a friendship with Bill.

However, I became very disappointed in Bill and his voting record particularly when it came to the state budget. The things that Bill Konopnicki did that disappointed me most are:

He voted for six Janet Napolitano budgets that doubled state spending in just five years.

He received ‘D’ grades from the conservative Goldwater Institute.

He betrayed former House Speaker Jake Flake in his first year of office by voting against Flake’s conservative budget in favor of a Democrat-supported big spending budget.

These two candidates, Allen and Konopnicki, I believe, offer a major contrast in personalities, the way they work with constituents and colleagues and a strong difference in their approach to difficult challenges. Sylvia Allen is a visionary leader who believes in finding solutions. Bill Konopnicki for my take is a politician who has become too comfortable with the bureaucracy and the inertia of state government. Bill has termed out and is looking for a way to stay in politics.

There seems to be a high state of trust in Allen by others in state government. In just two years in office, Sylvia has established a reputation for fairness, respect and relationship-building that has made her one of the most likeable and respected lawmakers at the Capitol. She has already been appointed to chair two important committees — one to review the state’s health care system and the other analyzing the effects of federal cap and trade legislation on Arizona. Both of these assignments indicate a high degree of trust.

There is no doubt as to which of these two candidates is the real conservative. Allen is a solid fiscal and social conservative who received a “Hero of the Taxpayer” award from the Goldwater Institute. Konopnicki is an established moderate who frequently votes with other moderate Republicans and Democrats against his own Republican leadership team, including against District 5 statesman Jake Flake. My main disappointment with Bill Konopnicki is that he can take major responsibility for the economic mess we’re in at the Capitol because it took his vote to pass Janet Napolitano’s massive spending bills.

Please vote for Sylvia Allen for Senator, District 5. She can’t do it alone, but she sure can convince others the best way to vote along conservative lines.